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Magical iteMs

The Dungeon Master’s Guide to Magical Items

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Created by@Burn Discord D&D Behind The Screen channelBurning_Titan D&D Behind the Screen subreddit

Thank you toDiscord D&D Behind The Screen channel@RockGoliath for their advice.@Rahovart for their advice.@Lyle for their advice and Bilcar’s Instant Inn’s Sheet.@BornToDoStuff for helping with the layout.D&D Behind the Screen subredditSonofabutch for the Together Feathers.Frank_Isaacs for the Beacon Bow.Pelusosa for the Vial of Nevermelt Ice Cubes.Eternal_Schism for the original Scarf of Colors

and Silent Rocking Cradlemythozoologist for the Evergreen Vase.nmarchet for styling the document.

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Part one: Working with magical items

World buildingMagical items are more than mechanical loot, they are a part of your world. You can work magical items in as world building or plot devices. Think about who made it and for what, who is currently using it and for what, it’s condition, what it looks like, its name, its minor properties, and how those are all connected to make a complete picture. By rolling or deciding loot before your party enters the dungeon you can begin to answer these questions ahead of time. A magical item could be in a hoard, used in an encounter, be a part of a trap or puzzle, half-completed on a table, or in the arms of a dead adventurer who went missing.

Most of the magical items in the DMG don’t include flavor text, and this is for a reason. It’s our job, as a DM to make sense of what other properties it would have based on our world. Page 142-143 of the DMG is an excellent resource for dressing your magic items with world befitting properties. An armor of invulnerability could be covered in gnomish gears that spin when it is used, a sword of vengeance could glow when its sworn enemy draws near, tiny animals could frolic in the presence of a staff of the woodlands, and a flame tongue could grow so hot it's slightly painful to wield. You can dress all your magic items with little properties to make them unique.

You can use magic items as just story devices. Items can be found broken, used up, or found by parties unable to use them. Items found this way ignore traditional rules of power creep, since they cannot be used. However they can still be important to the story. A holy avenger in a party with no paladin could be awaiting to be returned to the rightful king, a sending stone could be found with an assassin with the other sending stone missing, and an empty bottle labeled “Potion of invisibility” could found just before the prince is crowned. You can also try your hand at using lesser magic items as world building tools. You can find a list of common magic items below in the Common Magic Items section.

DistributionYou can roll or choose magic items as loot for your adventurers. If you are rolling, the loot tables have proper loot distribution and the following advice will not apply to you. If you choose magic items instead of rolling, you have more control of your loot, but you need to follow certain strict guidelines. On average, a party of 4 finds the following loot over 20 levels of adventuring, before the loot is split.

Choosing magical itemsParty level Consumable Permanent1-4 5 common,

3 uncommon, 1 rare2 uncommon

5-11 9 common, 10 uncommon, 5 rare, 1 very rare

6 uncommon, 2 rare

12-16 4 common, 7 uncommon, 8 rare, 5 very rare, 1 legendary

2 rare, 3 very rare, 1 legendary

17-20 4 rare, 12 very rare, 3 legendary

1 rare, 2 very rare, 3 legendary

Keep them in mind, but you should avoid following these averages as a rule. You want many adventures with below average loot, while others contain surprising vast fortunes.

If you hand pick out magical items for your players, such as selecting a flame tongue as loot for a fighter, consider balancing it out by selecting an equal amount of magic items that are less combat oriented. Stat items are usually rare, such as +1 weapons. Personally I find it more fun to have items that provide options instead of stats, and your game will be less vulnerable to giving your PCs too much power that way.

Buying and sellingFirst, be sure to check out this fantastic shop catalog by jrobharing that I use mostly for non magical loot. If your players want something more exotic in a non magical weapon you can also check out the expanded and exotic weapons list by the_singular_anyone.

Though you are free to do as you wish, in most campaigns players are not meant to find shops filled with powerful magic items. Such a shop filled with the desires of the 4 aristocratic adventurers who have only recently become customers would have gone out of business far before your party arrived. However rumors may be heard at your local inn, of some dwarf wizard in a nearby city who has spent the last several years on a secret project, trying to find how to creating the world’s first sending stones. This item might be purchasable when he finishes. Even when he finishes, the materials to make more may be difficult to find. The reality of the magical world is that, magical items only get made for those who can afford or make them, and for an important reason. So usually this is either a spellcaster who doesn’t want to sell their item, or a spellcaster who was paid extremely well to make this item for a very rich noble. When a magical item is in your economy, think about who was supposed to buy this item, and what purpose was so important as for all those resources being used to have it made.

When a player of yours would like to sell a magical items, the same logic applies. Who would spend so much money to buy this item from them? Just finding someone

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with the money is rare, let alone finding someone who wants to spend that money on the item.

If a player finds a wizard able to make them a magical item, they may accept a substantial amount of money, however it takes a long time of experimenting and enchanting, so they will not receive it any time soon. The rarity of expensive shops applies to some non magical loot as well, such as plate armor or poison. In order to avoid making your PC’s too powerful, when you add a magical item to a shop that is one less item of that rarity from a loot hoard roll. The price guidelines for purchasing a magical item can be found in the DMG. In general, prices are as follows if you choose the maximum price from that page. Prices may vary based on if you let your players bargain with your store owners.

Pricing magical itemsRarity Limited Use PermanentCommon 50 gp 250 gp

Uncommon 250 gp 500 gp

Rare 2,500 gp 5,000 gp

Very rare 25,000 gp 50,000 gp

Legendary 250,000 gp 500,000 gp

Crafting and scavengingThe ruleset for crafting a magical item can be found in the DMG (page 129). Crafting a magical item can be separated into three basic requirements:

1. Knowing the necessary spells2. Material3. Downtime used to craft

1. Knowing the Necessary SpellsIf an item allows you to cast a spell, you must know that spell in order to craft the item. If the item has non-spell abilities, the DM should choose a spell that is closest to the items ability and have that be the requirement to craft the item.

2. MaterialThe materials to craft a magical item are as rare and difficult to find in a dungeon or shop as the item it creates. The cost of buying this material in total is half of what the item itself costs from the table above. When you put a magical item in your world, you can choose to mix it up a little by placing the materials to craft the item in the world instead.

Variant rule-scavengingYou may decide to let players may spend downtime looking for the materials for lesser items or consumables, thus allowing them to find the material instead of exploring or buying it.

Scavenging costs nothing but time, however the time to find something is substantial. When a player states that they want to use downtime to find the material for crafting an item, you can secretly choose a table from below and roll on it. The tables for scavenging can

be found below in the Scavenging Magic Item Tables section. When you choose a table, the rarity should depend on how dangerous the land they are scavenging is. This way your players must still be adventuring in order to scavenge for items. A normal forest where the most dangerous thing is a bear and some wolves is unlikely to have even a common consumable. In general you should be thinking about places of power and something that happened to an otherwise normal material there that made it special. The forest the faerie dragon calls home may be where the healing potions herb could be found when it was exposed to the faerie dragons magic. The steel used to craft a rare sword could have been shocked by a blue dragon’s lightning. Feel free to come up with materials of your own and get creative with the idea.

The amount of player’s downtime to find the material for the item you rolled takes twice as long as the time it takes to craft the magical item, meaning that scavenging and then crafting the item takes thrice the normal time it would take. Depending on the time scale of your campaign feel free to alter the time required to find something. Once a player has scavenged a material from an area, that area may have run dry of materials for some time. This can be anytime from a month to permanently.

3. Downtime used to craftOnce a character has the materials for a magical item they may begin crafting. A character who spends 8 hours a day crafting a magical item will make 25 gold of progress towards its creation. So it will take the item’s cost / 25 days to successfully make them item. This can be simplified as follows.

magical item crafting timeRarity Limited Use PermanentCommon 2 days 4 days

Uncommon 10 days 20 days

Rare 100 days 200 days

Very rare 1,000 days 2,000 days

Legendary 10,000 days 20,000 days

Variant rule-crafting time by levelInstead of using the above table, you can choose for your players to craft slower or faster depending on their level.

Level Progress Per Day1-4 25 gp

5-11 50 gp

12-16 100 gp

17+ 200 gp

Scavenging magic item tablesThese tables include my homebrew magical items from my expanded magic items list below.

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Potionsd12 Common Potion Uncommon Potion Rare Potion

1 Potion of Healing Potion of Greater Healing Potion of Superior Healing

2 Potion of Healing Potion of Greater Healing Potion of Superior Healing

3 Potion of Healing Potion of Greater Mana Potion of Superior Mana

4 Potion of Healing Potion of Fire Breath Potion of Clairvoyance

5 Potion of Climbing Potion of Resistance Potion of Diminution

6 Potion of Climbing Potion of Animal Friendship Potion of Gaseous Form

7 Potion of Jumping Potion of Hill Giant Strength Exiler of Health

8 Potion of Jumping Potion of Growth Potion of (Frost/Stone/Fire) Giant Strength

9 Potion of Mana Potion of Waterbreathing Potion of Heroism

10 Potion of Mana Potion of Keoghtom’s Ointment Potion of Invulnerability

11 Potion of Roaring Philter of Love Potion of Mind Reading

12 Potion of Roaring Oil of Slipperiness Oil of Etherealness

Common itemsd100 Item d100 Item

1-4 Armor of Display 61-64 Memory Ring

5-8 Book of Animation 65-68 Robe of Useless Items

9-12 Bucket of Illusion Paint 69-72 Sailor’s Rope

13-16 Charity Weapon 73-76 Scarf of Colors

17-20 Dancing Candle 77-80 Self Playing Gaming Set

21-24 Dragon’s Eye 81-84 Memory Ring

25-28 Evergreen Vase 85-88 Robe of Useless Items

29-32 Gemstone Armor 89-92 Sailor’s Rope

33-36 Gemstone Weapon 94-96 Scarf of Colors

37-40 Gleaming Glass Mess Kit 97-00 Self Playing Gaming Set

41-44 Gleaming Find Clothes 81-84 Self Playing Musical Instrument

45-48 Globe Compass 85-88 Silent Rocking Cradle

49-52 Heated Iron Pot 89-92 Steel Clay Surface or Pot

53-56 Magic Skates 94-96 Tab Stone

57-60 Map of Winds 97-00 Vial of Nevermelt Ice Cubes

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Part two: magical items

Expanded magic itemsAmmunition of FrostWeapon (ammunition), uncommon

This pack of ammunition contains 1d20 pieces of ammunition. When you hit a creature with an attack using this ammunition, and that creature is not already under an effect that reduces their movement speed, that creature’s movement speed is slowed by 10 feet until the end of their next turn. Once this ammunition has hit a target, it becomes mundane ammunition.

Ammunition of SeekingWeapon (any ammunition), rare

This pack of ammunition contains 1d20 pieces of ammunition. When you make an attack using this ammunition, you can choose a point within 60 feet of you that you can see. That point is considered where you have attacked from when determining cover and range. Once this ammunition has hit a target, it becomes mundane ammunition.

Ankh of RejuvenationWondrous, very rare

This ankh has 1d4 charges. When a creature within 20 feet of you falls unconscious, as a reaction you can spend one of its charges to restore 1 health to that creature. Additionally, the creature gains immunity to all damage until the start of the creature’s next turn. When you expend the last charge, the ankh crumbles to dust.

Assassin's BracerWondrous, uncommon

This bracer has 4 hidden vials of basic poison attached. While you wear this bracer, you have advantage on Sleight of hand (dexterity) checks to hide the vials, or to apply the poison in the vials to a weapon discreetly. As an action, you can switch any number of the vials with other vials you are holding.

Beacon BowWeapon (any bow), rare

When an arrow fired from this bow hits a creature, it deals an extra 1d8 radiant damage. When you roll a 20 on an attack with this bow, the target is blinded until the start of your next turn. Nocking an arrow casts the spell Light on the arrow. When an arrow fired from this bow hits an object, the spell Light (DC 13) is cast on that object.

By another author.

Bilcar's Instant InnWondrous item, rare

At first glance this small dollhouse seems like a childhood toy. But the extraordinary detail and the

words “Expand” and “Shrink” emblazoned on the underside of the building indicate a more powerful item is at hand. The building is square in shape, 3 feet on each side and 3 feet tall. The building has a basic Inn layout. The Inn is basic wood construction. Comprised of wood walls, doors, window shutters and roof tiles.

Command wordsExpand: Over the course of 10 minutes the Inn expands to be a full-sized building, 30 feet on each side and 30 feet tall. The items contained within also return to their original size. Obstructions that would be moved with a DC 20 Strength check are slowly pushed out of the way by the expanding Inn. If an obstruction cannot be moved, the Inn, instead, begins to shrink back to its compressed size.

Shrink: Over the course of 10 minutes the Inn shrinks to be a toy-sized building, about 3 feet on each side and 3 feet tall. The items contained within are also shrunk, both size and weight, by a factor of 10. If a living creature is inside the building while the Inn is shrinking, the Inn, instead, begins to expand to its full size. Removing an item from the Inn causes the item to expand to its original size and weight over a period of 10 minutes.

LayoutFirst Floor: The main floor is comprised of 30’ x 20’ Common Room and a 30’ x 10’ Kitchen. There is enough room in the Common Room to set out a few tables with chairs. The kitchen has enough room for a pantry and small prep area. The Common Room and Kitchen both have an exterior door. A single door connects the rooms. There are 2 windows on either side of the Inn that have exterior doors. There are 3 windows on each other side. A simple 5’ wide staircase runs from the Common Room to the second floor.

Second Floor: The upper floor has 5 simple 10x10 rooms that are connected to a 10 foot hallway that runs the center length of the building. Each room has a door to the hallway and a Window.

@Lyle from the D&DBehindTheScreen Discord channel made a sheet for this.

Blade of LolthWeapon (any sword or dagger), rare (requires attunement)

This weapon has a very jagged blade, and a handle with a carving of Loth, the Demon Queen of Spiders.

This weapon has 6 charges. As an action you can expend one of its charges to cast the web (DC 15) spell through it.

You ignore movement restrictions caused by webbing, and you gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed when the surface you are climbing is a web.

As an action you can use webbing to stick the handle of this weapon onto an object, surface, or willing creature within 5 feet of you until a creature pulls it off.

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If you are convert with its placement, you gain advantage on Sleight of Hand (Dexterity) checks to attempt to hide it.

This weapon regains 1d6 charges at dawn.

Book of Endless PagesWondrous item (book), uncommon

This book has 100 pages, using an action you may speak a command word to empty its contents and it becomes blank. When you do so, choose a new command word. When you use that command word the book becomes filled with the contents it had when you chose it.

When discovered this book may already have command words that trigger content to appear that you may not be aware of. The DM chooses the words that any past owners used to show their content.

Crown of LordsWondrous item (crown), rare, (requires attunement)

Crown of Lords has a number of charges equal to 5 + your charisma modifier.

When a creature that you can see makes a saving throw against being frightened, you can spend 2 charges to attempt to encourage the creature. If the creature can hear and understand you, the creature gains advantage on the roll. The range of this ability is the range of your voice.

As a bonus action, you can expend 1 charge to cause your voice to carry out to 300 feet until the start of your next turn.

This item regains 2d4 of its charges at dawn.When a king or queen, or someone destined to be a

king or queen attunes to this item, the crown changes its appearance to match its wearer.

Dust of DisguiseWondrous Item, uncommon

Found in a small packet, this powder resembles multi-colored fine sand. There is enough of it for one use. When you use an action to throw the dust into the air, you and each creature and object within 10 feet of you gain the effects of the (DC 13) disguise self spell for 1 hour. You choose each creature’s and objects adopted disguised forms for them.

Potion of Change AppearancePotion, very rare

When you drink this potion you gain the effects of the Change Appearance property from the Alter Self spell (no concentration required) for 8 hours. This potions liquid is constantly changing colors.

Potion of JumpingPotion, common

Upon drinking this potion you gain the effects of the Jump spell for 1 hour, and fall damage you take is reduced by 5. This potion’s purple liquid is oddly bouncy when shaken.

Potion of ManaPotion, rarity varies

Upon drinking this potion, for the following minute you gain a spell slot. The level of the spell slot is shown on the Potion’s of Spell Slot table. If you would gain a spell slot higher than your highest level spell slot, you gain the level of your highest spell slot instead. The potion’s liquid is an unnaturally pure blue.

Potion of … Rarity Spell SlotMana Common 2

Greater Mana Uncommon 4

Superior Mana Rare 6

Supreme Mana Very rare 8

Potion of PolymorphPotion, very rare

When you drink this potion, you gain the effects of the polymorph spell (no concentration required) for up to 1 hour. The new form is chosen by the DM, and can be any type of monster. Pieces of the new form are visible within this brown potions liquid.

Potion of RoarPotion, common

When you drink this potion, you can choose to roar like a lion, tiger, or bear once before the start of your next turn. The roar is audible in a 300 foot radius, and if a beast of a challenge rating of 1 or lower is within 60 feet of you when you roar, that creature is frightened of you for 1 minute. The potion’s yellow liquid constantly has waves produced from its center.

Prismatic BowWeapon (any bow), legendary

Prismatic Bow is a magical weapon that adds +3 to attack and damage rolls made with it.

Added Element. Attacks with this bow deal an extra 1d8 damage. You choose the damage type of this extra damage from the options below when you make an attack.

Prismatic Shot. When you make an attack with this bow, for this attack you can target a creature at double this bow’s normal attack range and the Added Element property of this bow applies 5 times instead of once. It applies once for acid, cold, poison, fire, and lightning. This adds up to an extra 5d8 damage split among the five damage types below:

Damage TypeAcid

Cold

Poison

Fire

Lightning

Once you have used this property, it cannot be used again until the next dawn.

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Shifting WeaponWeapon (any weapon), rare

A Shifting Weapon is a magical weapon that adds +1 to attack and damage rolls made with it. As a bonus action you can turn this weapon into any Simple or Martial Weapon. When a Shifting Weapon turns into another weapon, its balance and grip is perfect for its wielder.

Soul Binding ContractWondrous item (paper), very rare

Any creature can write an agreement on this page. Any creatures that willingly sign their name upon the contract are soul bound to the agreement until it is complete and the agreement becomes impossible to change. A soul bound creature that fails to follow through on the agreement is teleported to a random destination in the Abyss. Once the agreement has completed, all creatures who have signed the contract have willfully agreed to end the agreement, or a soul bound creature fails to follow through on the agreement, the contract bursts into flames that cannot be extinguished, ending the agreement. The contract cannot be destroyed except by its own flames.

Summoning CauldronWondrous item, uncommon

Using 10 minutes to prepare the summoning of a creature from this Cauldron, you can then cast the spell find familiar from it. If another creature currently has a familiar summoned with the cauldron, that familiar is dismissed until it is resummoned. Once a creature casts find familiar using this cauldron, the cauldron cannot be used again until the next nightfall.

Sword of DecayWeapon (longsword), legendary (requires attunement)

A Sword of Decay’s blade is blackened steel, and is followed by Ravens that eat corpses they see.

A Sword of Decay is a magical longsword that grants +1 to attack and damage rolls made with it.

While this weapon is not sheathed, when a creature starts their turn within 10 feet of this weapon they must succeed on a (DC 17) Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 necrotic damage. Plant creatures and magical plants have disadvantage on this Constitution saving throw and take maximum damage. If a non magical plant that isn’t a creature is within the radius, such as a tree or a shrub, it doesn’t make the saving throw, it simply withers and dies. On a success the creature or magical plant takes no damage and become immune to this effect permanently.

As an action, you can cast the spell contagion (DC 17). This property cannot be used it again until the next dawn. At dawn, if you have not used this property since the previous dawn, the sword casts the contagion spell targeting you. The DM chooses the disease or determines it randomly.

Curse. This weapon is cursed, a fact that is revealed only when you are cursed by it. When you attune to this weapon you are cursed until you are targeted by the

remove curse spell or similar magic. While cursed, you cannot become un-attuned to this weapon. After being cursed for 2 weeks you become an undead, gaining immunity to poison damage and the poisoned condition, and your attunement to this weapon can no longer be removed by any means except by the wish spell or similar magic.

Together FeathersWondrous item, uncommonTogether Feathers come in pairs, with each Feather coming from one of two birds that have mated for life. This pair of enchanted bird’s feathers always point towards each other, no matter the distance between them. The direction is a straight line to the other feather’s location, ignoring walls and obstructions.

If one of the Together Feathers is in a different plane from the other, the feathers will point toward the nearest portal to the plane where the other of the Together Feathers resides. If none are available, it will point to where a portal to that plane was last opened. If one feather is destroyed, the other will point to where it could last be found.

If one of the birds dies, or if they are no longer mated, both feathers lose their enchantment.

By another author.

Expanded Sentient Magic ItemsJoffreyWeapon (greatsword), uncommon (requires attunement)

While you wield this weapon, as an action you can direct the sword to fly you up to 30 feet in a direction of your choice. The sword can carry the weight of one Medium or smaller creature. You can use Joffrey to fly for up to one hour, all at once or in several shorter flights, each using a minimum of 1 minute from the duration. If you are flying when the duration expires, you descend at a rate of 30 feet per round until you land. Joffrey regains the 1 hour of flight capability when you take a long rest.

Thrown Weapon. This sword has the thrown property with a normal range of 40 feet and a long range of 120 feet.

Sentience. This is a sentient item of a chaotic neutral alignment, with an intelligence of 10, wisdom of 11, and a charisma of 9. The weapon communicates telepathically with its wielder when held. It has no senses, it cannot see, hear, smell or find its way on its own. If let go the weapon can fly but is guaranteed to get lost.

Personality. Joffrey speaks like a confused old man. It likes being referred to as Jeff.

It is almost always confused because it lacks a way to sense the world outside the sword. Due to this it is also quite curious and often asks many questions to its wielder about what is going on and where they are. If it’s wielder has been exploring, adventuring, and learning new things, being told of these occurrences excites and brings joy to the weapon.

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If its questions are ignored for 2 weeks or more, the weapon weeps for itself.

Master GuideWondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

A Master Guide has all the properties of a Book of Endless Pages. It was created to be a sentient and helpful encyclopedia of one subject. When you have read all of the book’s content, you have advantage on ability checks of that subject and intelligence saving throws until you unattune to the Master Guide. It’s pages contain 3d6 entries of the subject, most of which its glad to share. The subject is chosen by the DM or chosen at random by rolling 1d4 on the table below. It may contain other entries left by its holder, or contain secret information the Master Guide is unlikely to share.

d4 Subject1 Arcana

2 History

3 Nature

4 Religion

Sentience. This is a sentient item of a good alignment, with an intelligence of 15, wisdom of 9, and a charisma of 12. It has hearing. It can speak, read, and understand common, as well as languages its creators wanted it to. It can read its contents at will, without opening to that contents page.

Personality. A Master Guide is a spreader and seeker of knowledge. It is often glad to help its holder, regardless of the holders alignment, learn its contents. When a new creature holds it, it will suggest reading its contents.

It loves if its holder leads the Master Guide to more information related to its subject. It often requests additional content be added to it when its holder learns something new.

It rarely understands anything not written inside itself, since it’s life experiences are limited to where it has been carried and what has been written inside it. If you write content inside the Master Guide, it immediately knows the content you added, as well as what command words you choose for hidden entries.

Expanded artifactsEye of GodWondrous item, artifact (requires attunement)

The first failed attempt to create a god construct was in Gikie’ter, the lost workshop that first created the Modrons and spawned the creation of the plane of Mechanus. The Eye of God was created to give Primus intelligence, wisdom, charisma, hierarchy above all Modrons, and the power to defend Mechanus. It is hidden inside Primus himself, fitted into a machine that lets Primus have a mind greater than other beings.

The Eye of God is a Crystal Ball made of adamantine gears. When you attempt to attune to the Eye of God, you must succeed on an (DC 15) Arcana (Intelligence)

check. If the creature attuning to the item is a construct, it automatically succeeds this roll. On a fail you fail to attune to the item and take 44 (8d10) psychic damage.

Random Properties. The Eye of God has the following random properties (defined in DMG pg 219-221):

1 minor beneficial property2 major beneficial property2 major detrimental propertiesCreate Constructs. While holding this item, as an

action you can cast the spell animate objects. Once you use this property it cannot be used again for 1 hour.

Dominate Constructs. The Eye of God is a Crystal ball. While touching it, you can cast the scrying spell with it. Using an action, you can cast the following spells while scrying with the Eye of God, targeting one Construct within 30 feet of the spell’s sensor: detect thoughts, dominate monster.

Destroying. The Eye of God cannot be destroyed except by taking it apart one piece at a time. If you spend 8 hours of actively experimenting and taking it apart, you can make an arcana (DC 15) check, if you succeed you can take off a few pieces of the Eye of God. Once you have done so successfully 5 times, the Eye of God is dismantled and its parts become non magical.

Hand of MidasWondrous item, artifact

The story of king Midas is one of greed. He wished for everything he touched to turn to gold, and he became unable to eat, or embrace his friends or family without turning them into solid gold. He died of starvation, but his golden hand remains magically intact. It is indestructible, so it was locked away from those who would use it.

The Hand of Midas is a golden hand on a golden hilt. It can be found in a temple that is nearly impossible to find, encased in adamantine, and protected by dangerous traps and monsters.

Random Properties. The Hand of Midas has the following random properties (defined in DMG pg 219-221):

2 minor beneficial properties1 major beneficial property2 minor detrimental propertiesMidas Touch. If a creature, surface, object, or liquid

comes in direct contact with the Hand of Midas it must make a (DC 17) constitution saving throw at the start of each of its turns. If the creature succeeds on this saving throw, it stops making the saving throw at the start of each of its turns. If the target fails the first saving throw it magically begins to turn to solid gold and is restrained until the target succeeds the Midas Touch’s saving throw. If the target fails the saving throw a second time, the target has one of its limbs turned to solid gold, until it is freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic. The DM determines which limb is turned to gold. If the target fails the saving throw a third time, the creature is petrified until freed by the greater restoration spell or other magic. The target then stops making the saving throw at the start of each of its turns.

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Using. As an action, you can directly touch the Hand of Midas to a creature, surface, object, or liquid within 5 feet of you that you can see. The Midas Touch property applies to your target.

Transporting. To avoid direct contact with the Hand of Midas, you can use any method of carrying the Hand of Midas that does not involve touching it directly. An affected tool, covering cloth, or container can be interacted with without you incurring the Midas Touch.

Indestructible. The Hand of Midas is indestructible, though it can be sealed away to avoid it being used.

Common permanent magic itemsFor a campaign set in a high magic setting, it can be difficult to build such a world without letting your players craft, sell, or find additional magical loot to what would be normal in a campaign. In order to get around this you can make extremely minor magic items that are common in your world that are not useful in a dungeon.

When making a common permanent magic item, there are 3 additional guidelines.

Under no situation should the item be useful in a dungeon, it is not loot.

The item is most likely made by a magic user for a noble or for themselves.

The item uses weaker magic than stronger items, making those magic items feel stronger and explaining why a person who can craft this item can’t craft a stronger magical item.

Example common magic itemsArmor of DisplayArmor (any armor), common

When you are hit, the location you are hit emits a bright red light in a 1 foot radius from where you were struck. This bright light becomes a dim light at the start of your next turn and fades after an hour.

World uses: Helping the crowd and referee see hits at a public tournament or competition.

Book of AnimationWondrous item (any book), common

This book is enchanted to display programmed silent illusions that represent the book’s contents. With each flipped page, a different illusion begins to play in a 1 foot cube in front of the book that represents what is on that page. The contents are chosen by the DM, it could be a story book, history book, etc…

World uses: Story books or calendars that are universal, and enjoyed by the nobles children.

Bucket of Illusion PaintWondrous Item, common

A paintbrush that uses this paint will paint the air with the illusion of streaks of paint of the same color as the Illusion Paint. The illusion can be walked through without disrupting the illusion, and can be dispelled by the spell Dispel Magic or by water, such as rain or humid weather.

World uses: Artists, graffiti, symbols, signs, messages during a siege, and walls that are just illusions.

Charity WeaponWeapon (any weapon), common

This weapon has two command words. The first command word turns the weapon into a simple chair, no larger than a 5 foot cube. The second command word turns the Charity Weapon from a chair into the weapon it was before being turned into a chair. If a creature is sitting down in its chair form when it becomes a weapon, the weapon ends its transformation in the hands of the creature that was sitting in it. If you gift this weapon to another creature, your name permanently becomes carved into the weapon regardless of the form it’s in.

World uses: Adventurer’s need chairs.

Dancing CandleWondrous item, common

While this candle is lit, its’ flame changes colors rapidly and flickers randomly. The Dancing Candle itself is very colorful.

World uses: Candles for a great party.

Dragon's EyeWondrous item, common

A rare coin with a dragon’s eye on one side, and a dragon’s tail on the other. Though predominantly a collectors item, rumors say that a hundred of these coins were made by the ancient black dragon, Xisvieth, and that by putting them all together in a line the location of his hoard of treasure is revealed, but that’s just a rumor right?

World uses: A collector’s coin, and occasionally a variant coin in loot. It’s up to the DM if this is a madman’s tale or a potential quest.

Evergreen VaseWondrous item, common

Any mundane plant matter placed inside this vase stays perfectly fed.

World uses: A way to maintain the rare plants of the richest Druids, herbalists and nobles.

Based on an idea by /u/mythozoologist

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Heated Iron PotWondrous item, common

This pot is constantly hot enough to cook the contents inside.

World uses: A way to keep food warm or even cook while adventuring.

Gemstone ArmorArmor (any steel armor), common

A piece of armor made of colorful gemstone, but has the durability of steel. This armor never gets dirty.

World uses: The armor a glamourous knight could use for a tournament.

Gemstone WeaponWeapon (any steel weapon), common

A weapon made of colorful gemstone, but has the durability of steel. This weapon never gets dirty.

World uses: The sword a glamourous knight could use for a tournament.

Gleaming Glass Mess KitWondrous Item (any mess kit, cutlery, plates, or cups), common

These items never get dirty.World uses: The cutlery at the richest inn’s, estates,

and parties.

Gleaming Fine ClothesWondrous Item (any fine clothes), common

These clothes never get dirty. During a long rest these clothes mend themselves over 4 hours. The clothes are adorned with fine colorful jewels that emit a dim colorful light in a 1 foot radius.

World uses: The robes of a king or a very rich noble.

Globe CompassWondrous item, common

Inside this tiny clear globe are two thin compass arms that originate from its’ center. One of the arm’s points north, and the second arm points upwards. Over the course of a minute, a creature with proficiency in Navigator’s tools that is holding the globe can use these angles to roughly determine how far the globe is above or below the planet’s surface.

World uses: A compass for the explorers of the magical world, and is extra useful for a proficiency that I rarely ever see used.

Magic SkatesWondrous item, common

While wearing these boots, flat uncovered ice in not considered difficult terrain to you. All other terrain is considered difficult terrain to you.

World uses: Now you can use skating in your medieval magic setting.

Map of WindsWondrous item (any map), common

In addition to the normal contents of a map, the weather of the mapped area is displayed as a unmoving illusion upon the map. The weather on the map is updated every dawn.

World uses: Rich sailors, battle planners, and travelers may use this to avoid bad weather.

Memory RingWondrous item, common

This ring has two command words that you can speak as an action, both are written on the outside of the ring. The first command word allows the wearer to store a single sentence within the ring of the wearer’s choice, which lasts until a new sentence is stored. The second command word allows the wearer to hear the phrase stored in the ring inside their inner thoughts. Anyone who has willingly dropped the ring remembers where they dropped it.

World uses: Essentially an item for memo’s. You can use this for yourself, or to relay messages.

Robe of Useless ItemsWondrous Item, common

A version of the Robe of Useful Items that pranking wizards sometimes give to each other as joke gifts.

This robe has cloth patches of various shapes and colors covering it. While wearing this robe, you can use an action to detach one of the patches, causing it to become the object or creature it represents. Once the last patch is removed, the robe becomes an ordinary garment. The robe robe has two of each of the following patches: rusted fork, old shoe, dirty wash cloth, dead mouse, spoiled rations (1 day), tree bark.

In addition, the robe has 1d4 other patches. The DM chooses the patches or determines them randomly.

d12 Additional patches1 Bathtub with a hole in it

2 Saddle too small for a horse

3 Glass shards of a broken bottle, it’s missing pieces

4 Badger (see the Monster Manual for statistics)

5 Human leg bone

6 A painting of a fish, more specifically, a red herring

7 Quill that always writes in Gnomish

8 Piece of green jelly, perhaps a gelatinous cube egg? No.

9 Shrieker (see the Monster Manual for statistics)

10 Wooden sign that says “Danger” in large letters

11 Several candles melted together without a wick

12 Tiny branch that returns to you when thrown

World uses: Some wizards prank on a friend.

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Sailor's RopeWondrous item, common

This rope floats in water and has 2 commands words. The first command word causes any ties in the ropes to lock. Once locked, a tie in the rope is twice as difficult to untie, requiring a successful (DC 11) Athletics (Strength) check to force it untied or by cutting it. The second command word unlocks the ties in the rope.

World uses: A rope for military ships.

Scarf of ColorsWondrous item, common

This scarf has two command words that you may speak as an action. The first command word changes the colors of the scarf to any colors of the wearer’s wish. This scarf is always flapping as if the wearer was under a constant strong wind, and the second command words allows the wearer to choose the direction the scarf is being blown.

World uses: So you can be glamourous.Inspired by an idea by /u/Eternal_Schism.

Self-Playing Gaming SetWondrous item (any gaming set), common

This gaming set has three command words. The first command word sets up the gaming set for a game by floating around its tiny parts. The second command word causes the gaming set to float the parts around in order to play a game with the one who spoke the command word, and the third floats the parts around to pack the gaming set back into its box. Self Playing Gaming Sets are not a very good players, however they are great for teaching someone how to play.

World uses: The best players and richest nobles may have these for convenience.

Self-Playing Musical InstrumentWondrous item (any instrument), common

This musical instrument has two command words. The first causes the instrument to float 2 feet above the ground and play a song for the character who spoke the command word. The second causes the instrument to stop playing songs, and to float itself 20 feet towards the hands of the character who spoke the command word before ceasing to float. You must be within 20 feet of the instrument for it to respond to a command word. If it is currently floating and you are no longer within 20 feet of the instrument, the instrument stops playing and falls to the ground.

Self-Playing Musical Instruments are poor musicians but can carry a simple tune. A talented musician may be able to synchronize multiple of them to play a more complex song.

World uses: Musicians may use these for background sounds, and adventure’s may want a theme song.

Silent Rocking CradleWondrous item, common

This cradle has two command words. The first command word causes it to rock steadily, and the second causes it to cease rocking. Any loud noises outside of the cradle are suppressed to half volume for any creatures within the cradle.

World uses: May be used by rich nobles for their young.

Altered, but based on an idea by /u/Eternal_Schism.

Steel Clay SurfaceWondrous Item (any wall, ceiling, or floor), common

When the clay that forms this surface is dried, it becomes as hard as steel. A building or vehicle formed of Steel Clay surfaces costs thrice as much as a regular building or vehicle.

World uses: The hardest castles and dungeons to break are those of incredibly rich kings.

Steel Clay PotWondrous Item (any pot), common

When the clay that forms this pot is dried, it becomes as hard as steel.

World uses: The finest of art made by the best in pottery.

Tab StoneWondrous item, common

When a creature agrees to be in debt for something while they squeeze this stone, the debt that they agreed to is tracked by an illusion on the surface of the stone, and a symbol on the stone points towards that creature’s location until they pay this debt, or they are no longer within 150 feet of the stone. Multiple debts and direction can be tracked by one stone.

World Uses: As its’ name implies, the best magical taverns have a way of keeping track of your tab.

Vial of Nevermelt Ice CubesWondrous item, common

This vial contains three ice cubes that do not melt. Each can be crushed as normal ice, but this will break the spell on that ice cube and turn it into mundane crushed ice.

World uses: A way to make a magical fridge, and numerous other practical uses.

Originally by /u/Pelusosa.